August 6, 2012, Day 15 Victoria, British Columbia

Click on Photos to Enlarge

This morning we rode down to Victoria, which involved about an hour of riding.

Line em up

Move em out.

Front to back, John, Terry, Fred, and Mike

Victoria is the Capital City of British Columbia.  The hotel we were staying at was located less than a block from the Capital building.

Today was all about flowers and shrubs.  We planned on visiting The Butchart Gardens in the afternoon, after we had a chance to see the Victoria Waterfront and lunch.

L-R Barbara, George, John, Brian, and Susan.  Eating Lunch in Victoria

Capital Building as seen from harbor.

The Empress Hotel

Street performers along water front. 

Floral Display outside Empress Hotel

After lunch, it was off to The Butchart Gardens, located on the outskirts of Victoria. A brief description from The Butchart Gardens web site;

The Butchart Gardens is one of the world's premier floral show gardens. Jennie Butchart began to shape this magnificent landscape in 1904. She established, in the style of the grand estates of the period, several distinct gardens to evoke a range of aesthetic experiences. An abandoned limestone quarry was transformed into the dramatic Sunken Garden, a reflection of the early 20th-century beautification movement and an exceptional achievement in Canadian gardening history. Through successive generations of the Butchart family, The Gardens has retained much of its original design, and continues the Victorian tradition of seasonally changing the outstanding floral displays. The public area of The Butchart Gardens covers 22ha (55 acres) with much more, for the most part, "off stage." Twenty-six greenhouses covering almost 2 acres, along with trial growing areas, a plant and a tree and shrub nursery help to keep The Gardens in prime viewing condition. 

The Group.

The Sunken Garden

The next two photos show two guys that were just thrilled with the visit to the gardens.

No one legged women allowed in this joint.  

Linda, Barbara, and Susan.

There really is not enough space to show all of the pictures that display the beauty of the gardens.  Personally, I felt as if I was in the Home and Garden section at the local Home Depot, but the women in the group beg to defer. 

When we were done with our visit to the Butchart Gardens, it was back to Victoria for dinner and a view of the city at night.  The Captial building is lit up during the evening hours and adds character to the city's harbor water front.  

Is that Lord Stanley's Cup?

Capital building.

Well that was it for Victoria.  We all look forward to returning and spending more time in the city.

Tomorrow we have to be at the ferry dock at 5 a.m. for our departure to Port Angeles, Washington and our return to the United States. 

Brian